CUSTOMIZATION 2021 HOW TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGING FACE OF PERSONALIZATION IN THE YEAR AHEAD.
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CUSTOMIZATION 2021 HOW TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGING FACE OF PERSONALIZATION IN THE YEAR AHEAD. VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 CUSTOMCULINARY.COM
NEARLY HALF OF CONSUMERS ARE
EAGER TO DINE AWAY FROM HOME
AGAIN. WILL THE EXPECTATION OF
CUSTOMIZATION COME WITH IT?
And, if yes, how will you respond?
Customization, perhaps more than any other topic in foodservice, has
been in a constant state of evolution. From the early days of “have it your
way” and "white or wheat?," the approach has been ever-changing. And
over time, new challenges have popped up: cross-contamination, lifestyle
trends, ingredient allergies. Operators pivoted by finding new ways to offer
modifications and customization without disrupting service.
And then the Covid-19 pandemic came knocking, and many operators
found themselves without the capability to customize. Survival and safety
took precedence, and with good reason.
Customization in 2021 and the years ahead will begin with listening to customer needs,
looking at future trends, and understanding ingredient concerns.
Chef Mike Minor
Custom Culinary®
The Evolution of Customization
Have it Your Way Build Your Own Pick 2 (or 3 or 4...) Order Now
Launched in 1974 in Burger Popularized by Subway and Originally a value offer, this Consumer control has gone
King's advertising as mass Chipotle, the model has been model quickly made it's way digital with online ordering,
customization took hold and adopted by many cuisines, across limited service menus hyper-personalization and AI-
led to a new expectation. ethnicities, & non-commercial. to deliver more choice. enabled convenience.
©2020 Custom Culinary, Inc. 2
HOW CUSTOMIZATION
HAS SHIFTED.
CURATION OVER CUSTOMIZATION
Diners may think they want to build their own creation, but this can
easily back-fire when non-complementary flavors come together
poorly. Restaurants recognize the need to guide guests toward a
curated offering. Piada, an Italian fast-casual chain based in Columbus,
OH, offered build-your-own dishes in the beginning, but quickly
pivoted to chef-inspired versions to guide diners and to keep the line
moving. If guests require guidance in well-known cuisines like Italian,
the same is likely true for more unfamiliar ethnicities.
ALTERNATIVES FOR HEALTH-CONSCIOUS DINERS
Customization has evolved for health, dietary and new allergies, as much as anything. Alternatives
like meat-free, dairy-free, and carb-free have grown in popularity over the last several years and show
no sign of stopping. Allowing swaps offers the benefit of inclusivity to meet a variety of diners’ needs.
Dunkin’® recently announced the addition of Oat Milk at all locations in the U.S. While it may come
at an additional charge, it offers more choices to consumers to customize their favorite beverage.
In 2018, Boston Consulting Group, predicted personalization to shift
$800M by 2023 to the 15% of companies that get it right. Luckily,
restaurants have a bit more time to prepare.
HYPER-PERSONALIZATION SHELVED FOR NOW
Pre-pandemic trends included gastronomic experiences far beyond the norm, like offers of tailoring
dinner menus to guests’ DNA profiles. As the current normal has settled in, restaurants have paused
the added-value offers and placed their focus elsewhere, like outdoor dining areas and proper
distancing between tables.
If I were running a restaurant today, I would approach customization very
strategically by developing a small handful of creative, trendy, versatile
sauces that address my customer demographic perfectly and have the
inherent ability to be utilized across all day parts and menu categories.
Chef Michael Smith
Custom Culinary®
©2020 Custom Culinary, Inc. 3
HOW OPERATORS
HAVE ADAPTED.
ESTABLISHED Most formats allow for a pre-
THE BASE determined base. Salads and
bowls fit this model very well.
Add the perks of customization with pre-portioned proteins, sauces,
and garnishes for guests to personalize in their way. This approach is
easy to adapt to global preparations and comfort foods, and even
easier to add to ordering apps for takeout and delivery.
Accuracy is the 3rd most important factor in delivery
orders, after taste and speed of service. Getting
customized orders right will set operators apart.
FLIPPED THE The appeal of customization is rooted in choice. On the flip
EXPERIENCE side, consumers are weary of making decisions. Flipping the
control back to your expertise could be a welcome reprieve.
At Heirloom BBQ in Atlanta, GA, the pick-up menu highlights the meal of
the day without the option to customize. The element of customization
can be found in picking the day rather than the ingredients.
TOOK BACK Customization will return to
CONTROL pre-2020 levels, but during
recovery, the request for
customization is best left to the kitchen. As ordering ahead becomes
standard, options may expand. For now, skinny down the choices and
offer customization with easy swaps, like proteins, broths, and sides.
PAUSED BUFFET 59% of consumers would feel more comfortable if
restaurants switched to pre-packaged single-
OPTIONS serve condiments.
Hotels and midscale buffet restaurants have reinvented their models in a short amount of time.
Salad bars and breakfast buffets have been replaced with innovative solutions like breakfast bags to
go, “table brunch” where waitstaff bring the buffet dishes tableside, and family-style table service.
Golden Corral has pivoted their famous buffet to a "no-touch" and a "we serve you" offering with
endless helpings without requiring a guest to touch serving utensils.
©2020 Custom Culinary, Inc. 4
HOW CONSUMERS
HAVE ADAPTED.
Family meal bundles, in-restaurant markets, and meal kits have kept
restaurants open. As customers return to dining rooms, the offerings
borne out of necessity have gained popularity beyond the pandemic.
Almost two-thirds of Americans have either tried or are interested in
trying many of these new products, according to Datassential. Even
more, once diners try the new options, almost all are interested in
continued purchases even after the pandemic ends.
Nearly nine out of ten consumers plan to continue ordering takeout
from upscale restaurants, yet many consumers are growing bored.
56% of restaurants are currently
Customization offers a chance to defeat boredom by mixing in new offering delivery.
variations on favorite dishes. Here’s how: Source: Datassential
Refresh digital menus to offer new choices on existing bases
Introduce LTOs to entice consumers to try something new
Consider merchandising customized options for on-premise only
Offer premium upgrades on value offerings for an upcharge
With today’s consumer’s increased food knowledge, as well as numerous dietary needs,
customization is critical. 2020 has been a challenging year to say the least, yet it’s no
longer a novelty to offer customization. It’s critical to every foodservice establishment.
Chef Mike Speranza
Custom Culinary®
©2020 Custom Culinary, Inc. 5
HOW TO CUSTOMIZE NOW:
TIPS & TAKEAWAYS
CHOOSE CURATION
OVER CUSTOMIZATION
Consumers are experiencing decision fatigue, and when ordering online, too
many choices can become overwhelming. Make it simple by focusing on
curated options, family-worthy bundles, and suggested combinations that
complement one another. One-third of consumers want to be allowed to
customize their orders. However, a menu that still offers choice without the
“We’ve focused much of our
innovation around curated bowls headache of too many options may give the satisfaction of choice.
because students gravitate toward
them,” says Jackie Bertoldo, Tips
Assistant Director of Nutrition at
Build-your-own is intimidating with global items, so offering small and
Stanford University. “We’re
reimagining customization in the manageable choices may be enough to put guests at ease. Supply
time of COVID, and it’s working. options such as choose your protein, like pork, chicken, or tofu, on a
Source: Flavor & the Menu
báhn mì, or pick your spice level in a bowl of pho.
Consumers are sensitive to price right now. Rather than tacking on
35% of consumers fees, offer different price options and allow guests to build their meal
say they'd like a bundle. Think of it as a modern-day mix & match menu.
mix of different
price options, Half of consumers cut back on restaurant spending in the last month.
according to
Datassential. Yet, convenience is still desired. Offer easy-to-order meal bundles with
sides to feed a small group and feel like a value.
OFFER CHOICE
WITH LIMITS
The emphasis on value is pronounced right now as consumers manage
their stress into the new year. Balancing price, quality, and quantity will
continue to be important in 2021. Rather than reverting to menus of the
past, take stock of the year ahead. If a limited menu worked, stick with it
and add in a few choices. If choices add stress to the kitchen team, 31% of consumers want to be allowed
collaborate on the choices that feel possible. Once decisions are made, be to customize their meal.
transparent with customers so they know what to expect when they make Source: Datassential
their next order.
©2020 Custom Culinary, Inc. 6
Tips
STREAMLINE MENUS Survey ordering habits from 2020 to understand how the menu can be
simplified. From there, define opportunities for customization and easy add-ons to build check.
At Moe’s Southwest Grill®, diners can choose from 21 ingredients for their bowls or burritos. But
for their third-party delivery menus, they cut their options to 12 to give guests less choice.
MIX IN CHOICE Learn from the mix-and-match strategies of successful fast-casual chains.
Panera Bread® has offered a You Pick Two® menu for years with limited options. Guests can
pick their bread, cheese, and sides to fit their preferences without straining restaurant staff or
holding up the line. Recently, they took their combos one step further with the launch of Panera
Duets, an offering of their classic favorites in pre-picked pairs at one low price.
EXPAND YOUR REACH Consumers have found a new set of challenges in the breakfast and
lunch hours. Grab the opportunity to grow the daytime dayparts by offering convenient and
cost-effective offerings to address the new version of the lunch rush.
MERCHANDISE BUNDLES Interest continues to grow for family meal bundles that offer
customization, with nearly 80% of consumers stating they would like to see mix-and-match
options. Explore build-your-own bundle menus as an offer to guests.
DELIVERY SPOTLIGHT: Packaging
Consumers expect customization,
especially younger generations. Offering 56% of restaurants are currently offering
menu variety, global flavors, socially- delivery and 87% are doing takeout, according
responsible sourcing, and plant-forward
to Datassential. To deliver a customized
selections is a great start and will
become critical as guests seek to feed experience, proper packaging becomes
their lifestyle. essential. Even when groups are small,
packaging sauces, garnishes, and
Chef Michael Hornback
Custom Culinary® accompaniments in sealed containers allow
guests to build their meal off-premise.
©2020 Custom Culinary, Inc. 7
REIMAGINE CATERING
& TAKEOUT IN 2021
While takeout and delivery ramped up, catering programs were pulled way
back. In fact, two-thirds of operators suspended their offering. In 2021,
perhaps there is an opportunity to feed groups differently as people find
new ways to gather.
“During and after the last recession, Tips
people were entertaining at home
Offer a reimagined version of catering to maintain the revenue stream
more and dialing back on in-
restaurant business. As restaurants and meet consumers where they are. The potlucks and quarantining
start to open, it’s going to be phased
of 2020 may give rise to a new wave of catered dinner parties.
and not super pleasant at first, with
temperature checks and plexiglass Customizable group meals by delivery may be a winning option for
barriers and limits on group sizes. homebound diners who still crave their favorite foods. NYC-based Dos
But people are craving social
connections.” Toros Taqueria offers a catered meal with 20 ingredients laid out
Source: Technomic assembly line-style. With lettuce and tortilla bases, slow-simmered
beans, and protein options, consumers are free to build and
customize their tacos with better-for-you choices.
Customization might be an expectation, but choice can be
overwhelming when ordering online. Organize the menu by the
bestsellers and help diners focus.
WORKING WITH PARTNERS COMMITTED TO GROWING YOUR BUSINESS WILL HELP YOU
STAY TRUE TO YOUR MISSION, REGARDLESS OF HOW YOUR MISSION HAS EVOLVED.
CONSUMERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY, CLEANLINESS, AND WELLBEING,
BUT THEY MISS THE DINING OUT EXPERIENCE. AND PART OF THE EXPERIENCE IS
CHOICE. NOW MORE THAN EVER, CONSUMERS ARE SEEKING THE DELICIOUS FOODS
THEY CRAVE. WE CAN HELP WITH ADDING THE +1 DELICIOUSNESS WITH OUR LINE-UP
OF BASES, SAUCES, AND GRAVIES. EASY TO CUSTOMIZE, EASY TO PREPARE, AND ONE
MORE WAY TO LET YOUR GUESTS KNOW THAT ADDING FLAVOR IS ALWAYS INVITED
AND WELCOMED IN YOUR KITCHEN.
At Custom Culinary®, we believe supporting the industry we serve is just as important as the products we make. It’s the
promise we’ve made to ourselves and our customers. You can find out more on our website, or we can tell you all about it.
Either way, know that being true to the food feels even better when you know what you’re working toward. That’s why we
are committed to promoting food safety in our actions and our products, reducing our footprint, innovating with wholesome
ingredients, and giving back to our surrounding communities.
Sara Day / Director, Channel Marketing
sday@customculinary.com / 630.928.4825
2505 S. Finley Rd., Ste. 100 Lombard, IL 60148
Sources: QSR web, How Millennials' Love for Customization is Changing Quick Service, March 2017; KTCHN Rebel, Ultra-
personalization: the next big thing?, October 2018; Technomic What Recovery Looks Like, May 2020; The End of the Breakfast
Buffet, Eater, June 2020; Datassential Staying Power Report, Aug. 2020; Datassential Operators Hunker Down Report, Oct. 2020;
Datassential Sticker Shock Report Oct. 2020; Datassential Life Goes On Report Sept. 2020; Flavor & the Menu, Flavor RO: Setting
the Bar, Nov. 2020; Technomic, Where does Covid-19 leave catering? August 2020; Technomic Optimize for Off-Premise, Sept. 2019
©2020 Custom Culinary, Inc. 8
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